March 27, 2009

Blue vs. Gray

My high school son, for the past two months, has been working on a research paper comparing three great battles of the Civil War (Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor), all of which occurred within 100 miles of Washington, DC. So when the Georgetown Hoyas . . .

Bring It On, part 2 My high school son, for the past two months, has been working on a research paper comparing three great battles of the Civil War (Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor), all of which occurred within 100 miles of Washington, DC. So when the Georgetown Hoyas lined up last night in McDonough Memorial Gymnasium to face the Richmond Spiders in the third round of the women's NIT, I couldn't help but think about the historical connection between the two cities represented by the teams on the court, the capital of the North versus the capital of the South. And in the game, just as in those three battles, the side with the stronger defense prevailed in a decisive victory.With the win, the Hoyas move on to the round of eight to face Boston College at the Conte Forum in Boston next Sunday. Hoya, hoya saxa!

I slipped into the arena last night before the doors opened and found the Hoyas informally warming up and staying loose. Many of the hoop men's team were there, hanging out and chatting with their counterparts. The easy and relaxing environment felt like it did during one night of Madness last October when the men and women roundballers mixed it up in our first glimpse of the respective teams. When I posted an entry about that evening of basketball, I remarked about the day in the future when basketball in McDonough will once again sell out. It didn't happen last night, but the who's who in attendance were treated to a very entertaining game of b-ball. Those attendees included: Jim Walsh, SJ and more than a few Jesuits; Law Center VP Kevin Conry '76; veteran fans of McDonough womens' ball including Joe McGuinness '68, Paul Besozzi '69, and University VP Dan Porterfield '85; multiple former players, including our first WNBA draftee, Katie Smrcka-Duffy '01; lots of current Hoya parents and families; Hoop Club leaders Al Bozzo '85, Mike Karam '72, and Bill Licamele '68; athletic director Bernard Muir along with most of his staff and coaches; emeritus AD Frank Rienzo; several members of the Thompson family; and the men's hoop team as mentioned.

It was a homecoming of sorts and the Hoyas couldn't have picked a better time to show their stuff. Now, battle-tested throughout the Big East season and on the threshold of their deepest run ever into post-season play, the Georgetown women are deserving of our esteem. We are proud of their success and delighted to see them wear the Blue AND Gray.